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Key Tudor figures: Drake and the age of exploration

Study note

The reign of Elizabeth I was a great age of exploration. English sailors set out across the oceans, trading, discovering new lands and challenging the power of Spain at sea. This period of bold sea voyages is closely linked to Elizabeth I, not to Henry VIII, Queen Victoria or King John.

One of the most famous sailors of this time was Sir Francis Drake. He played an important part in defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588, and his ship, the Golden Hind, was among the first to sail all the way around the world. Drake is therefore remembered as a daring Elizabethan explorer and naval commander. The key fact to recall is that Sir Francis Drake sailed during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Memory tip: Sir Francis Drake, Elizabethan sailor, beat the Armada, sailed around the world.

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Sir Francis Drake is associated with which monarch's reign?

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Key Tudor figures: Drake and the age of exploration: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Sir Francis Drake is associated with which monarch's reign?

    • Elizabeth I
    • Henry VIII
    • King John
    • Queen Victoria

    Correct answer: Elizabeth I

    Sir Francis Drake was an explorer and sailor during the reign of Elizabeth I.

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